Johnny Depp Reads Hunter S. Thompson
April 13, 2010 9:47 AM Subscribe
Johnny Depp reads letters he received from Hunter S. Thompson while filming "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."
At least through part 1, that was fun. Wow, HST was really messed up. But that had some really funny bits.
posted by Windopaene at 10:04 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Windopaene at 10:04 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
That's a bonus feature on the Criterion edition of Fear & Loathing.
posted by muckster at 10:09 AM on April 13, 2010
posted by muckster at 10:09 AM on April 13, 2010
He was so much cooler before he was typecast as a piratean undercover police officer staking out a high school.
posted by DU at 10:12 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by DU at 10:12 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
I think playing Hunter S. Thompson really had a profound effect on Johnny Depp. Ever since that movie it seems like when he speaks in public he's doing a slightly restrained version of that voice and persona. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
posted by wabbittwax at 10:14 AM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by wabbittwax at 10:14 AM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
The main headquarters building of the US State Department is named the Harry S Truman Building. In government acronym parlance it is refered to as HST.
Let it be known that from this day forth that I, Pollomacho of MetaFilter, shall, when speaking of the US State Department Headquarters Building in Washington, spaek only of the Hunter S. Thompson Building.
Sorry Tru, though you were the only man on earth with the balls to actually nuke anyone, the irony factor alone is too great to avoid.
posted by Pollomacho at 10:15 AM on April 13, 2010
Let it be known that from this day forth that I, Pollomacho of MetaFilter, shall, when speaking of the US State Department Headquarters Building in Washington, spaek only of the Hunter S. Thompson Building.
Sorry Tru, though you were the only man on earth with the balls to actually nuke anyone, the irony factor alone is too great to avoid.
posted by Pollomacho at 10:15 AM on April 13, 2010
“He was so much cooler before he was typecast as a pirate.”
He’s had scissors for hands, was almost a made man and worn angora with false teeth, but share one file….
posted by Smedleyman at 10:21 AM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
He’s had scissors for hands, was almost a made man and worn angora with false teeth, but share one file….
posted by Smedleyman at 10:21 AM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
I really enjoyed these videos. And now I'd like to hear audiobook versions of HST work as read by Johnny Depp.
posted by dnesan at 10:24 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by dnesan at 10:24 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
The best thing was that you can tell he really enjoys reading those letters, having those memories. Very cool of him to be videoed reading them and share that with the world.
posted by Medieval Maven at 10:24 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Medieval Maven at 10:24 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
That was great. Makes me aspire to become a legendary letter-writer in the vein of HST or maybe Mark Twain. People just don't correspond like that anymore. Time for a revival.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 10:25 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 10:25 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
wabbitwax, you could read up on what happened to Bill Murray after doing HST in Where the Buffalo Roam. Apparently, it became something of an issue. The Good Doctor had a strong personality.
posted by adipocere at 10:36 AM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by adipocere at 10:36 AM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
If you've got more than a passing interest in Thompson's letters, this is a great book to pick up. You can read a review of it here.
posted by clarknova at 10:40 AM on April 13, 2010
posted by clarknova at 10:40 AM on April 13, 2010
I actually found that letter extremely saddening.
posted by darth_tedious at 11:00 AM on April 13, 2010
posted by darth_tedious at 11:00 AM on April 13, 2010
Kindred spirits. Depp knows that Thompson would never appreciate an honest portrayal; it would somehow be too much and not enough. It would never satisfy him no matter what; he was never really satisfied with himself. Thompson himself could do it, and it would only be a snapshot of the man, a moment in time.
posted by Xoebe at 11:13 AM on April 13, 2010
posted by Xoebe at 11:13 AM on April 13, 2010
We astronomers also use HST to mean Hubble Space Telescope. Gives new meaning to "This star system sure looks fantastic through the eyes of HST!"
posted by Schmucko at 11:51 AM on April 13, 2010
posted by Schmucko at 11:51 AM on April 13, 2010
He was so much cooler before he was typecast as a piratean undercover police officer staking out a high school.
His movies are even more interesting if you assume he is still working as an undercover cop in each of them.
posted by drezdn at 1:38 PM on April 13, 2010 [5 favorites]
Wow, HST was really messed up.
Why,yes, yes he was. But genius messed up, at least. He was a wordsmith with few peers.
A lot of people can write, but few can paint with words. HST always seemed to be in love with the language itself. The only two contemporary writers that have impressed me as having that same kind of joy with the language are Tom Robbins and Jimmy Buffett (yes, that Jimmy Buffett.)
I miss him.
Thanks for the post.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 4:54 PM on April 13, 2010
Why,yes, yes he was. But genius messed up, at least. He was a wordsmith with few peers.
A lot of people can write, but few can paint with words. HST always seemed to be in love with the language itself. The only two contemporary writers that have impressed me as having that same kind of joy with the language are Tom Robbins and Jimmy Buffett (yes, that Jimmy Buffett.)
I miss him.
Thanks for the post.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 4:54 PM on April 13, 2010
I think playing Hunter S. Thompson really had a profound effect on Johnny Depp.
I think getting as far into the head of HST as Depp did would have the same sort of effect on anyone.
Hunter, perhaps unaware he was in fact describing himself when he wrote it, said it best: "There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die."
posted by fore at 5:19 AM on April 14, 2010
I think getting as far into the head of HST as Depp did would have the same sort of effect on anyone.
Hunter, perhaps unaware he was in fact describing himself when he wrote it, said it best: "There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die."
posted by fore at 5:19 AM on April 14, 2010
Kind of a pisser that Johnny ends act 3 with himself reading HST the riot act for ditching Cannes.
The rest was awesome though, thanks for posting this!
posted by snsranch at 3:53 PM on April 14, 2010
The rest was awesome though, thanks for posting this!
posted by snsranch at 3:53 PM on April 14, 2010
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posted by dunkadunc at 9:51 AM on April 13, 2010 [4 favorites]